Page 102 of Hard Hat Hottie

I’d apologize, but I need Harlow all to myself. “Do you want me to get you an Uber?”

“Nah. Barnacle Bob said to call him when we were ready to go,” Shay says. “He promised me he’d lay off Mongolian food today.” She giggles.I’m afraid to know what that means.

Sadie and Shay gather their things and give Harlow a hug before heading up to the house. They seem like good girls. I’m glad Harlow has them, even if she doesn’t see them as often these days.

My girl has started taking classes to gain her Nurse Practitioner license. It took a bit of convincing, but she’s cut back on work at the ER and is only working on an as needed basis. Which, if it were up to them, they’d need her every day. But with drill weekends once a month, her classes, and the boys, she’s trimmed her hours significantly. It’s bad enough I’m away so often, but coming home to find her working all of the time was maddening.

“I hope you aren’t all danced out.”

She snickers. “Why is that?”

Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I cue the song I’ve been listening to lately, connecting it with the Bluetooth speaker, and pull her gorgeous body against mine. “I need to dance with my girl.”

“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur begins to play, and I sway back and forth, clutching her tight. He sings of how every day is getting better, and I can relate. I’ve never felt more certain of anything than I am of spending my life with this woman. God, I’ve missed this. Once we’re official, there has to be a way to bring her and the boys with me. I don’t want to waste these precious moments. Fitting them in around everything else.

It’s time everything else should have to fit around Harlow.

“I brought you something,” I whisper as I nuzzle her ear.

My brazen girl reaches over, squeezing my dick. It had already perked up being this close to her bikini-clad body, now there’s no stopping him.

“Besides that,” I huff.

“Oh.” She giggles. Pulling back enough I can see her blue-green eyes twinkling in the summer sun, she bites on that luscious lower lip for a moment in contemplation. “More panties?”

Throwing my head back, I release a hearty chuckle. “I’m so predictable.” It’s selfish, these gifts. But hell does she do something to me when she wears them.

“Well, you aren’t the best gift giver.”

I stumble backward in shock, clutching my chest. “What? And here I thought you liked them.”

“Oh, I do. But I only get to enjoy them for like a hot minute before you’re taking them off. Then I never see them again.”

“Hence, why I need to keep buying more.”

Shaking her head as I pull her body back against mine, she asks, “What are you doing with my panties?”

I lower my palms to her delicious, curvy ass covered in tiny hot pink bikini bottoms, gripping them possessively. “Dreaming of the beauty who wore them.”

We continue to dance, listening to the song on repeat, and my heart warms. I’m so proud of us. For staying committed to slowing down and learning how to talk to one another. For putting the other’s needs above our own. As James Arthur sings that he knew he loved her back then, but was afraid to let go, my heart clenches.

“You know, I loved you almost from the beginning.”

“I know.”

Slowly drawing one brow up, I give her a smirk, leaning back to tell her I’m not kidding when something in her melancholy expression stops me. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, causing me to hold her tighter.

“Your mother told me.”

My breath catches. “What?”

“I stopped by to see her before my evening shift when she was in rehab. Don’t even remember why, but I noticed her nails were bare and it felt imperative to paint them.” Harlow reaches up as a tear escapes her lower lid. “All of a sudden, she saidHarry.”

Hell, something tells me she’s not the only one who’s going to be crying in a minute.

“I thought someone had called out to you in the hallway. But when I went back to her fingers, she saidHarry loves you. That was the last thing I ever heard her say.”

Doing a quick scan of my memories around that time, it hits me. “She spoke to me a little that day too. She said,She’s pretty.I corrected her, thinking she was talking about her nails. But I bet it was you.” I pause, trying to recall that afternoon. “Unless she spoke with Joyce after that, those were probably some of the last words she ever said.” I blink back the moisture in my eyes,but it’s worthless. I’m done pretending. This woman can bring me to my knees. Knowing my mother knew it too, makes this moment feel all too right.

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